One of the biggest things that puts people off buying a printer is the costs associated with running one, but having a printer doesn’t need to be expensive. Everyone has to print things at some point or another and going to a printing shop or the library can end up costing you a lot more over the years. What’s more, it’s inconvenient to leave your home to print things, so why not pick up some good habits now and make printing an economical task at home? Here are the best ways you can do just that:
Ink
Ink is usually the most significant recurring cost faced by printer owners, but this can easily be negated by shopping around. Look for the cheapest canon mg2500 ink you can find online and consider buying more than one cartridge at a time if you know you’re going to need more in the near future. Alternatively, club together with friends and family and buy your printer ink in bulk to save a lot of money. It’s important to make sure that the ink you’re buying is compatible with your printer, however, because this can cause damage in the long run.
Settings
Now you have your cheap printer ink you need to make sure you’re maximising it with every sheet you print. If your settings aren’t right then your printer could end up soaking your paper with more ink than necessary, leading to waste. So make sure you check this every time you switch from photo paper to normal sheets. It can also be worthwhile to print most documents in black and white, as this can help your colour reserves to last longer. Most of the time you won’t need colour unless working with photos, so go ahead and tick the greyscale box for that shipping label.
Energy
Your printer uses electricity just like any device, so when you go to buy your new machine, try to get one that’s eco-friendly. Some appliances are more efficient than others and, if you’re going to have your printer for years, this will make a big difference over time. You should also make sure your printer is turned off when you’re not using it. Even leaving your printer on standby for days can increase your energy bills, so be sure to unplug it as soon as you’re done using it.
PaperYou really don’t need premium printer paper for most day-to-day printing, but it is important not to buy paper that’s too cheap as well. If your paper is incredibly thin, it can get caught inside your printer and end up harming the machine. Go for paper that’s designed for your printer but isn’t as thick as photo or art paper unless that’s what you need. Sometimes choosing recycled paper can be cheaper, or you could buy lots and lots of sheets at once to keep costs low. Paper doesn’t expire or go bad when it’s stored properly, so feel free to stock up.
